Legion AA Bantams open NIHL season with victories

October 3, 2012

MARQUETTE - The Marquette American Legion Bantam AA youth hockey team opened its league season with a pair of road victories against the Soo Lakers Bantam AA team in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday.

Marquette (5-1 overall) won the opener of this Northern International Hockey League series, 2-0, with Kyle Lane scoring a power-play goal in the second period and Chris LeMire adding insurance in the third. Assists were credited to Ryan Morrissey, Kristian Jackson, Tristan Ashbrook and Nick Bink.

The Legion's Travis Cameron made 19 saves while the Soo's Tanner Reattoir had 24.

"They kind of controlled the action at first, but we totally dominated the second and early in the third period," Marquette coach Brian Nebel said. "Late in the third they had some chances, but Travis made a couple of big saves to secure this shutout."

The Legionnaires put on their scoring skates to start Game 2, scoring four times in the first five minutes in an 8-1 rout.

Ashbrook had the first and last goals of the flurry, with Alister Henderson and Jackson scoring in between.

Ashbrook completed his hat trick on the power play less than two minutes into the second period, and with goals scored by Bink and Donnie Schultz, Marquette led 7-0 before the second period was three minutes old.

Bink countered a Soo goal over the next three minutes, but the goalies kept the pucks out of the net the rest of the way.